According to Bloomberg, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross stated on September 2 that the U.S. government is considering imposing a new round of tariffs on imported semiconductors in order to attract more chip manufacturing companies to settle in the United States.
In an interview with the American Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), Luteckni said that new tariffs may be accompanied by tariff reduction measures. Companies investing in domestic manufacturing in the United States are expected to benefit from these measures, which are modeled after the actions taken by the Trump administration towards the pharmaceutical industry.
“Semiconductor industry can also follow this approach: if you build your factory in the United States, we will offer you tariff reductions; if you don’t build your factory in the United States, then you will have to pay tariffs,” said Lutnick. “This is a very reasonable approach, and it works effectively.”
In January this year, the Trump administration imposed a 25% ad valorem tariff on certain imported semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and derivatives, under the pretext of addressing national security threats.
Trump claimed in early August 2025 that the United States would impose 100% tariffs on imported semiconductors.
The report indicates that the scope of the new round of tariffs may not be limited to semiconductors themselves, but will extend to products containing chips. This means that imported data center servers and consumer electronics products could also be affected.
Critics warn that further tariffs could increase the cost of building data centers in the United States. However, Rutnick believes that providing tariff benefits to companies that produce in the US can solve this problem.
“I believe everyone will see a more targeted and carefully designed tariff policy. In simple terms, if you produce here, you won’t have to pay tariffs; if you don’t produce here, then entering this world’s largest market requires being prepared to pay tariffs. All companies know these policies are coming, and they have already experienced this process.”
Lutnick said that currently, various companies have pledged to invest approximately $1.2 trillion in the United States’ semiconductor manufacturing industry. Companies such as TSMC and Micron Technology are investing in the construction of local production facilities in the U.S.
